Around the NBA (Non-Celtics) 2020-21, Part 1

[bucknersrevenge]

A couple of points...

First, we aren't using the Jays right due to necessity. We need a playmaker moving forward. Smart is being missed. Hayward is being missed. Neither are elite in that department but they at least get the ball moving more often than not. Kemba isn't a primary playmaker in nature. He's more a scoring PG who also struggles seeing the floor against length.

Second, "our other guys" aren't as awful as people point them out to be compared to depth of teams like the Bucks or Nets. It's just that our stars aren't on the same level as Harden/KD/Giannis. So it's still about top talent.

Our stars might not be ready to win yet, regardless of the supporting cast we surround them with. Harrison Barnes and George Hill could help but ultimately it's still about how our top guys perform.

If this is true. And you and I have been discussing this very thing of late, then we recognize that 24 and 22 year olds don't lead teams to championships. They are not in their prime years. Then would you say that it may be another 2 years before we should realistically talk about them trying to get to the Finals? And then if you would say that, then it means that Danny really has the next 2-3 years or so to add the right veteran talent mix to this team to complement the Jay's?

Yep. I get carried away too many times and expect too much too soon from the Jays. Why I'm leaning Cs become more seller than buyer this trade deadline. Or if we're using the TPE, use it on someone that fit alongside them the next 3-4 years and not some band-aid that can help us get to another ECF but nothing more.

Get outta my head right now. I do that too as well. Prime Jay's are gonna be excellent players. I have no doubt of that. As for this year, we also can't discount the appeal of avoiding the repeater. I'm all for making a small move or 2. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to Marcus, Kemba, and the Jay's playing more than a combined 28 minutes together.

[bucknersrevenge]

Fun game on NBATV right now with the Hornets and Blazers. Lots of uptempo and passing. Occasionally a little out of control too but otherwise basketball made fun.

[djFan71]

Harden is making Bruce Brown look like an all-star. Can we trade Semi for KD just to see what Harden can make out of Ojeleye?

Claxton had at least a dozen eaaaaasssy points.

Not a knock on the Jays. It's actually unfair to expect it out of them at this stage, but the way Harden and Kyrie deliver passes to their scrubs on time, on target is just next level. Simple PnRs leading to wide open threes and dunks. Doesn't matter what the defense looks like. Not much player movement on most of these possessions either. It's just Kyrie and Harden reading, drawing, and warping defenses.

It was just a matter of time. Claxton is the goat in waiting.

But Grant & Carsen are nice, too.

[JediMasterRevan]

As I said I can’t stand LeBron and seeing him manipulate the league like he has to ensure a lot of success since 2010 has been tiresome when winning titles is so hard for everyone else.

But I also can’t stand when people talk him down for playing next to great players. Since when has that ever been an argument against all time great players?

Jordan played with Pippen for all his titles. Kukoc, Rodman etc. For the time he had a great team that fit around him.

Bird had McHale, Parish, DJ and a number of other talented players on great teams.

Magic had Kareem, Worthy etc.

Kobe had Shaq, Pau, Odom etc.

I could go on and on. You need great rosters around you to win multiple titles in this league. Heck even winning one requires roster talent. If MJ etc never had Pippen etc he would have bailed on Chicago. LeBron is just the first star to put so much pressure on his teams to get talent around him. Modern players don’t want to waste their career praying and hoping that some star will just appear.

I don’t really care a great deal for the who is the GOAT arguments but you are absolutely kidding yourself if you don’t think LeBron is one of the greatest to ever lace them up.

The difference between Lebron and all the other compairisons is that none of those guys left town when the franchise took a dip or didnt have great players aside from the stars.

Mike lost
Magic lost
Bird Lost
Kobe lost

Lebron left to join a superteam, then left to join a superteam, then left to join a superteam.

They didn’t leave because they had stable franchises with stars around them. Kobe almost left when he had nobody around him.

LeBron bailed on a Cavs team that offered nothing and then went back to bring a title to his hometown. Yes he did end up with good rosters in Cleveland and LA but they weren’t instant superteams.

Reality is all these players played with other stars but for some reason LeBron not having access to a stable franchise and moving on is some massive negative to his greatness.

Jordan retired when the team refused to give him the roster he wanted in 1998. You think he would have stayed at the Bulls through the 90s if there was no Pippen etc?

Jordan retired when the team insisted on a rebuild and not going for 1 more ring.
He didnt want to try and play through that.
And he didnt jump ship to go join a couple of other great players elsewhere.

Scottie almost left the bulls, mike was still there.
Mike was there before scottie

Using mike as ypur example here really weakens your position

[zoyathedestroya]

If this is true. And you and I have been discussing this very thing of late, then we recognize that 24 and 22 year olds don't lead teams to championships. They are not in their prime years. Then would you say that it may be another 2 years before we should realistically talk about them trying to get to the Finals? And then if you would say that, then it means that Danny really has the next 2-3 years or so to add the right veteran talent mix to this team to complement the Jay's?

Yep. I get carried away too many times and expect too much too soon from the Jays. Why I'm leaning Cs become more seller than buyer this trade deadline. Or if we're using the TPE, use it on someone that fit alongside them the next 3-4 years and not some band-aid that can help us get to another ECF but nothing more.

Get outta my head right now. I do that too as well. Prime Jay's are gonna be excellent players. I have no doubt of that. As for this year, we also can't discount the appeal of avoiding the repeater. I'm all for making a small move or 2. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to Marcus, Kemba, and the Jay's playing more than a combined 28 minutes together.

Really wish we played Nesmith, Pritchard, and Timelord all the minutes they can handle instead of trotting out Javonte, Teague, and Thompson. Langford too, over Semi, once he's cleared.

If we're standing pat, that would be the 2nd half rotation for me regardless of our playoff aspirations. Starting five from ECF last season plus Pritchard/Langford/Nesmith/Williams twins.

[bucknersrevenge]

Yep. I get carried away too many times and expect too much too soon from the Jays. Why I'm leaning Cs become more seller than buyer this trade deadline. Or if we're using the TPE, use it on someone that fit alongside them the next 3-4 years and not some band-aid that can help us get to another ECF but nothing more.

Get outta my head right now. I do that too as well. Prime Jay's are gonna be excellent players. I have no doubt of that. As for this year, we also can't discount the appeal of avoiding the repeater. I'm all for making a small move or 2. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to Marcus, Kemba, and the Jay's playing more than a combined 28 minutes together.

Really wish we played Nesmith, Pritchard, and Timelord all the minutes they can handle instead of trotting out Javonte, Teague, and Thompson. Langford too, over Semi, once he's cleared.

If we're standing pat, that would be the 2nd half rotation for me regardless of our playoff aspirations. Starting five from ECF last season plus Pritchard/Langford/Nesmith/Williams twins.

From a coaches standpoint, I can understand not wanting to overwhelm your rookies with too many minutes where they just don't know what they're doing. I even get wanting them to continue to earn their minutes. Where that's falling flat this year is that Brad's alternatives to them are in a word, dogs**t. So it makes you want to play them even more. If Danny has provided better options we wouldn't have an issue with them playing somewhat sporadically and earning minutes during a congested weird season. IMO, where Danny really failed this season was in not finding veteran replacements for Javonte and Semi and releasing them before their guarantees came up.

[zoyathedestroya]

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Two of our best passers are in the wrong quadrant. Aaron Gordon is just yikes. Give me Lowry or Sabonis hehe.

[Parliament10]

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[BK_2020]

Nice. Clears the way for Tremont Waters FMVP.

[Fencer reregistered]

A story about Kobe getting drafted. Tidbits include:
-- The big thing that convinced the Lakers to take Kobe was him destroying 40-year-old Michael Cooper in a workout.
-- He did much the same to DJ. But the Celts took Toine instead.
-- John Calipari got bluffed out of taking Kobe for the Nets at 8. He took Kerry Kittles instead.
-- A Phoenix assistant coach convinced the Suns to try to trade up to take Kobe ahead of the Hornets. That coach was Danny Ainge.
-- Laker assistant coach Larry Drew called Kobe "the truth". Obviously, it didn't stick. But I wonder whether Shaq plagiarized the idea from him.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30957423/kobe-bryant-jerry-west-draft-workout-changed-nba-history

[zoyathedestroya]

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[Fencer reregistered]

Given the noise made by a certain politician, it's nice to see a SMART woman named "Candace" having a visible night on Twitter.

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[Theocy]

Given the noise made by a certain politician, it's nice to see a SMART woman named "Candace" having a visible night on Twitter.

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She kind of owned him. realistically speaking guys around her in that panel look like idiots. Is she a pro player?

[Fencer reregistered]

Given the noise made by a certain politician, it's nice to see a SMART woman named "Candace" having a visible night on Twitter.

Read on Twitter

She kind of owned him. realistically speaking guys around her in that panel look like idiots. Is she a pro player?

One of the best. 2x MVP, 6x All-WNBA first team.

[bucknersrevenge]

Given the noise made by a certain politician, it's nice to see a SMART woman named "Candace" having a visible night on Twitter.

Read on Twitter

She kind of owned him. realistically speaking guys around her in that panel look like idiots. Is she a pro player?

One of the best. 2x MVP, 6x All-WNBA first team.

In the bottom clip, the first clip technically, that look away at :44 where she's like "I'm done witchu" "D can you talk to your man please??"

[Triple7]

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2934289-lakers-rumors-hassan-whiteside-javale-mcgee-could-be-targeted-in-trade-buyout

Well the lakers have AD, Harrell, Gasol and Jones for their bigs, and still looking for some depth. While, we are contented with undersized bigs, and most likely will stood pat again.

[zoyathedestroya]

I can't listen to Shaq talk. If TNT could put subtitles, that would be great.

[Fencer reregistered]

Some conversation I linked before, less broken up.

One tidbit, paraphrased:

Shaq: We won a championship with me dropping deep.
Wade: Actually, we won because you stopped playing that way.

https://twitter.com/i/events/1367155349317316610

[1st banana]

TJ mconnell with 9 stls at the half and a stl on 5 straight possessions wow that’s ridiculous and kinda funny. TJ the new glove.

[zoyathedestroya]

Jazz had a 39-point advantage from beyond the arc... and still lost.

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Donovan Mitchell took 34 shots! I thought he went hero ball late. They went away from what got them all these wins.